Toward a Biological Framework for Morality

Nancy K. Morrison, Sally K. Severino

Abstract

The morality of human beings, defined as our ability to determine whether our actions are right or wrong, depends not just on following rules but also on understanding the impact of our actions on another person. How we understand the impact of our actions on another person depends on our state of consciousness, which is mediated by our brain and nervous system. We propose a framework for encouraging both a discussion of and also the scientific study of the biological regulatory systems involved with morality.